Sindh govt moves to demolish 51 dilapidated buildings in Karachi after Lyari tragedy

• Committee to submit report in two weeks.
• Govt to amend building laws, says minister.
• 740 buildings across Sindh deemed dangerous.
  

Sindh Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani said on Monday that the committee investigating the recent five-storey building collapse in Lyari was tasked to submit a detailed report on 51 other severely dilapidated buildings across Karachi.

“The [same] committee will now also examine the condition of 51 dilapidated buildings in the city and will submit a report in the next 24 hours,” he said while addressing a press conference in Karachi flanked by Sindh senior minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar.

The government will start demolishing these 51 dilapidated buildings after a survey, said Ghani.

The development comes days after the building collapse in Karachi's Lyari area, which left at least 27 people dead. The search and rescue operation was concluded after nearly three days on Sunday evening.

“Twenty-six bodies — including nine women, 15 men, and a ten-year-old boy and a one-and-a-half-year-old girl — were recovered from the rubble, while another person succumbed to their wounds during treatment,” Assistant Commissioner Shehryar Habib told reporters on Sunday.

“In addition, the city commissioner has been tasked with compiling data on 588 other buildings deemed dangerous in the port city,” Ghani said in today's presser.

Commenting over whether prior notices were issued to residents of the ill-fated building in Lyari, minister Ghani said: “Notices are regularly issued regarding unsafe structures, but unfortunately, the process often ends there."

“We are examining how to prosecute those responsible for unauthorised buildings,” he added.

The minister also announced Rs1 million compensation for each victim's family.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh senior minister Sharjeel Memon said that CM Murad chaired an emergency meeting on building collapse today and decided to suspend the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) director general.

Memon, who also holds the portfolio of information minister, said the Karachi commissioner and other officials were part of a fact-finding committee that has been given two more days to submit its report.

He also disclosed that 740 buildings across Sindh have been identified as dangerous.

Separately, Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar said that first information reports (FIRs) would be filed against all officials found guilty of negligence. “Criminal negligence will not be tolerated,” he added.

High-level committee

The Sindh government had formed a high-level committee to investigate the Lyari building collapse. The committee was initially expected to submit its report on Monday; however, it has now been granted an extension of two more days to complete its findings.

The SBCA revealed that the collapsed structure — which housed over 40 people in 20 apartments — was 30 years old and had been previously marked unsafe.

The authority claimed it had issued formal evacuation notices two years ago, and the latest was served on 25 June 2025. It said it had also sent notices to K-Electric and the water board to disconnect utility services — but neither the connections were cut nor was the building vacated.

Verify before purchase

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has urged citizens to verify whether residential buildings have obtained all necessary approvals before purchasing flats.

Speaking to the media in Karachi on Sunday, the chief minister said a committee has been formed to probe the incident. “We will review the reports in tomorrow’s meeting,” he added.

He also revealed that the building evacuated last night in Agra Taj was constructed a few years ago without approval from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).

He further stated that the government is reviewing options for relocating residents of over 400 'dangerous' buildings in the Old City Area.